. >> we met officer epperson at the kern valley state prison in california.ed only with pepper spray and a baton, he's the lone officer responsible for supervising the inmate kitchen staff. >> i have six, seven inmates back here now. i've got one sitting on the line. granted, i got four, five cops outside that door. that door's locked. there's only one dude out there with the key. you have to trust them to a certain extent. they have no reason to assault me. unless they're totally pissed off or i disrespect them. >> among the inmates epperson places his trust in is the number two cook, carter hill. >> tell me what your sentence is. >> murder. >> you're here for murder? what's your sentence? >> 51 to life. >> you know, it's interesting. sometimes there's this dynamic in prison when you're interviewing somebody, if there's a corrections officer and an inmate together, they'll pretty much watch their ps and qs. they'll tell you into the camera what the other guy wants to hear. but when we met carter hill, we got some real brutal honesty that day in the kitchen.

sharon epperson at the nymex. today. >> brian, we've been talking a lot about what has happened in europe and the concerns about a global economic slowdown, china manufacturing data also weak. all of that weighing on metals prices across the board. gold actually is holding up relatively well compared to some of the other metals that we have seen selloff pretty sharply. and it's relatively quiet here in this gold options pit. keep in mind we are looking at pretty big selloffs in silver, copper and palladium down about 2% or platinum i should say down about 2%. we are seeing net long positions that have been cut by hedge funds in the past week. that is part of it. and a big trade, very popular trade has been to short the gold miner stocks and be long the gld. we are seeing that in play as well in this session as that gdx, that gold miner's etf hits a 52-week low, sue. >> sharon, thank you very much. >> okay. now back to that headline grabbing story in the "new york times" about walmart's business dealings in mexico.

sharon epperson is at the nymex with the pit reaction to that. eamon, we'll start with you. >> reporter: the president's been getting clobbered out on the campaign trail by republicans who blame him for the spike in gas prices at the pump. that might have had a little something to do with why the president came out today and he really came out swinging hard against market manipulation in the oil markets. take a listen. >> we can't afford a situation where speculators artificially manipulate markets by buying up oil, creating the perception of a shortage and driving prices higher. only to flip the oil for a quick profit. >> reporter: here's what the president wants to do. he laid out a five-point plan. the key points, he wants more funding from congress for more cops on the beat at the cftc. tech upgrades for regulators so they can keep up with the pace of high-speed trading computers. he'd like to boost civil and criminal penalties for market manipulation up to $10 million a day per violation in some cases. and he'd like to raise margin requireme

sharon epperson in the final stretch of trading.ril nearly in the books, will sell in may be on minds next week? we'll see if the charts provide any clue. great to have you here. what is it going to be? sell in may, go away? i'm not necessarily sure it's going to be. >> i think it's too early to talk about selling. it's on a lot of people's minds and we have correction in april. people expecting that to be the start. but the market bends but didn't break. >> what are the charts telling us? >> earnings have been good. >> that's one of the primary reasons between this may and last may. earnings expect takings were very subdued and it was easy to jump over that hurdle. we have a bottom at 1360 on the s&p 500. now we're pushing back up. you get up near 1430 to new highs, essentially, which would bring you back towards the upper end of the dominant trend channel. we've been in this since the start of the bull market. >> maria and i talked about money moving into technology and other areas where money is flowing. it's certainly flowing in

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sharon epperson here at the nymex. take a look at a gold chart and that will tell you how the market interprets everything it hears from the fed and fed chairman. we saw gold prices dip about $15 to a low 16.25 an ounce aftered it fed decision came out with no mention of qe 3 and then the fed chairman talked about how the fed would not hesitate to use any tools that are necessary. perhaps we'll see monetary easing and gold prices rallied back and we're at the top end of the range that gold has been in. around 1645 an ounce. we saw big moves in the silver market. and then recovered basically all of those losses as well. but when you look at the volatility and precious metals, that really is nothing compared to what we saw in natural gas today. natural gas futures surged 5%. we have option expiration, few day futures expire tomorrow and then from the energy department the natural gas storage data coming out at 10:30 a.m. eastern time. i'll bring that to you live. we are expecting another injection, more natural gas suppl

sharon epperson is tracking the action at the nymex for us. hi, sharon. >> yes, we are looking at gold prices right now. you know, it's been a rather lackluster month here for gold, but gold has managed so far today to cut much of the losses that we saw. we saw a lot of the riskier assets down on the session, but gold prices right now look poised to close almost flat here at 1664.60 an ounce. meanwhile, we have some firms that are cutting their longer term forecast for gold. hsbc lowering its forecast from 18.50 to 1760 for average price of gold for 2012. gold still down for the month but doing better than the other metals so far in april. back to you, sue. >> thank you very much, sharon. all right. check out the shares of sunoco, they're up 20% today on an otherwise down day after the pipeline operator energy transfer partner says it will buy the company for $5.35 billion. nice work for investors if you can get it, but that's kind of an anomaly in today's trading session, right, bob? you're saying the economic data hasn't been good enough. gr

let's check in with sharon epperson out there at the nymex. >> the gains have certainly lost some steam, mandy, as we get into the close here. we are looking at prices, though, that are still range bound between this $100-105 a barrel range. that's what we've been trading in for the last several weeks for crude. keep in mind a lot of traders are still awaiting what the fomc decision will be. that can have a lot to do with the oil trade going forward. we are keeping a close eye on gasoline as well. we've seen gasoline futures slip and some of the biggest losers in the commodities today have been those gasoline futures. the gasoline crack as well. we are hearing about a number of refinery negotiations under way. whether it's conoco phillips and delta and their east coast refinery or sonoco and carlisle group working out a deal for an east coast refinery. that's something that could also be pressuring prices and demand. mandy, it keeps falling. >> it certainly does. thanks very much for that. >>> we're going to talk about whether college is still worth it in a few minutes. first, herb has

sharon epperson at the nymex. hey, sharon. >> they've already stopped shouting. around a key technical level around 1680. but the real leader in the metal space in this session has been copper. you talked about new money coming into commodities, you see that in the copper. certainly helped the rally and that is the positive manufacturing data we got here. and that definitely contributed to the gains. and copper market and some of the other metals with the industrial components to them as well. look at what happened to gold, yeah, we talked about the new money there. and the technical levels. also some bullish bets being placed there. money managers raising those bullish bets in the last week as we approached 1700 level. but when you look at the manufacturing data that comes out whether it's china or eurozone or the u.s. which was really the driver, we've seen big gains in silver and palladium as well. those are among the biggest winners in this session. back to you. >> thanks so much, sharon. today's power player president and ceo of natixis asset management. one

sharon epperson with the details on that trade live from the nymex for you right now. >> we've been in range here in oil prices for the past month. now we're at the lower end of that range. breaking below 103.60 here after, of course, those fomc minutes. of course, the fed saying there seems to be no inflation threat from oil. brent crude not that affected. the brent wti trade is another one a lot of folks have been focused on in this session as it's at a six-month high. the real story as you mentioned with no inflation threat, inflation perhaps 2% or below for the foreseeable future. we're looking at gold prices down below 1650 and 1625 is the support for gold, brian. >> sharon epperson, back to johnson county, texas. south really west of dallas. these scenes are pretty spectacular. this is a tornado. it is a big tornado as you can tell. it is moving across the ground in johnson county. you can see it's moved into a populated area. that is a monster tornado, folks. these are live pictures. it is just south of ft. worth in johnson county, texas. let's hope everybody had plenty of advan

. >>> i'm sharon epperson with breaking news on natural gas supplies.ural gas supply levels increased 47 billion feet, 47 billion cubic feet in line with expectations. also the same as what we've seen for the five-year average. we're looking at more than 2.5 trillion cubic feet of supply of natural gas. there's a question of whether there's enough storage capacity. looking at prices that have come off of it from their highs of the session. also about a ten cent difference between what we're seeing in the may contract which expires today, and the june contract, the june contract trading around $2.22 right now. so that is something that traders are paying close attention to as well as, carl, the fact the next 6 to 10 days we are expecting warmer weather that could give a bit to natural gas. a short covering rally that has taken prices up 10%. >> thanks so much, sharon epperson. >>> stories we're squawking about, 10:31 on wall street, mastercard hitting new record highs. the stock, which surpassed the 450 mark up 62% in the past 12 months. pending homes, u

sharon epperson is over at the nimex.g-term plans, and that's basically why we saw oil prices unchanged the whole time the president was speaking, but the majority has been very negative on the president's comments and concern there wasn't much commentary on energy policy and more blaming, of course, many people taking it personally here, the traders and speculation. we constantly at this time of year hear about oil market speculation, high gas prices, and really, they're not intertwined. >> no, they're not. these are market 4forces that push these markets up. obama talks about energy speculation and traders. these are the same traders that push that to a low. so it's not affected by that, what he's calling speculation in these markets. what it is is a deflexion of his failed energy policy right now. he says we want to be energy independent, but he kills the keystone pipeline. he says we want to be energy independent, but he kills one in the gulf. >> he said this is one factor in rising gas prices, not the only factor. he

go to sharon epperson at the nymex. sharon?efinitely in the forefront in the oil market as well. if you look at the flat price, it looks like there's not much movement perhaps in brent and wti. but that does not tell the story of what is happening in the north sea where supply continues to be tight and bp has announced that they have actually shut down a north sea platform causing some supply delays. we're seeing the spread between brent and wti blowing out to a six-month high, nearly $21 right now. that is the big trade, of course, that many are following. we're continuing to also see new money in the beginning of the quarter, perhaps working on this trade and that is another reason perhaps we're seeing the spread blowing out here. traders are watching this and trading it very carefully today. back to you. >> thank you, sharon. >>> we're joined by art cashin, director of floor operations for ubs financial services. not kovrg his normal beat today, though. arthur joined payne weber in 1980 and is celebrating its original listin

. >>> i'm sharon epperson at the nymex. even if you didn't see the fomc minutes, look how gold has dropped here. an indication that we probably will not see qe 3. no mormon tear easing. well, that means gold has dipped 40 bucks here just under those minutes and we are looking at the bottom end of the bottom end. 1625. bank of america, merrill lynch saying that they still see an upside at the end of the year for gold but not much reaction in the second quarter. back to you. >> sharon, thank you so much we have a market trading down. apple continues to march towards a new high as it marches towards a $600 million cap. let's look at the talking numbers. good to see you, rich. thanks for joining us. what does the chart say about apple? >> well, that in the short term we should expect the momentum to continue. there is further upside but you better have your big boy pants on because the end is near. let's start. take it back to january. we had a divisive break out from a head and shoulders bottom. here's your breakout gap. that'

i'm sharon epperson at the nymex. up the oil had a lot of the traders up in arms and the cme group has weighed in as well saying that they agree that manipulation is detrimental to markets but caution against mistakenly categorizing speculation as a form of manipulation. the cme group saying that obama's proposal to use marginal requirements is exchanges, they say, in the best position to monitor volatility and meanwhile we are looking at prices that do not have much reaction. still trading above $104 a barrel. back to you. >> definitely a risk-on day, sharon. thank you. >>> after the bell, you only have 36 minutes to trade it ahead of the numbers. should you do so? let's start talking numbers. we're going to look at both the fundamentals and the technicals. joining us on the technicals is u.s. market technical strategist and on the fundamentals, covering the name for nomorah. robert, let's start with you. what do the numbers say about intel? >> if you look at the long-term chart for intel, lots of these stocks are br

sharon epperson in denver. here to talk about some markets after an interesting couple of days here, art. >> sure have been. >> you have some bits in your notes today talking about seasonal patterns going into a good friday weekend. what does it look like is this. >> well, traditionally the day before good friday is up between 60% to 70% of the time. ironically the day before the nonfarm payrolls is up 60% to 70% of the time and you can add in any day before the three-day wengd is up 60% to 70% of the time. all we have to do now is get a rally. >> can one take a lesson that the selling may go away? there's a little more runway until you get to that point is this. >> there probably should be but, you know, you have a lot of complicating factors here. you have tax season, changes coming up, so i think people are trying to stand back a little bit. that may be what's giving us this pause. >> yesterday people were wondering, is it the fed? is it spain? you said if it had been the fed, there would have been a little

sharon epperson here at the nymex.old and silver continue to rally the day after the fed's decision and, of course, the commentary coming from fed chairman bernanke, the press conference that he held talking about keeping interest rates low, talking about using additional tools, if necessary, if the economy warrants it. all of those are factors that have driven not only precious metals but metals across the board to increase. with the rise we've seen in open interest over the last session or so, it has added productivity looking for more upside. we'll continue to follow that. and we're looking at commodities across the board, including platinum pa laid yes, ma'am, copper, all higher on this session. bill o'neil says he sees more going into the third quarter. perhaps the downside is now all done. maria, i'll send it back over to you. >> sharon, thank you so much. we're in the final hour of trading. investors watching starbucks as we approach the close. that's because the company is reporting earnings after the bell toni

i'm sharon epperson coming to you live from the nymex this friday afternoon. natural gas prices are near the high of the session. natural gas has had quite a run. we're in the june contract now and there's a big debate whether or not we'll continue to see natural gas below $2 with this new june contract. well, that didn't happen and this rally, the short covering rally continues here. we're up about 20 cents from where we were this time last friday and traders say there is more potential for more short covering. natural gas getting in the $2.30 level. back to you. >> sharon, thank you very much. >>> the general health care field has seen an explosion in technology. our money and medicine segment. the state is about to have the largest screening center in the country opening as early as this spring. the emerging genomic business is a current driver of a global business referred to as personalized health care. executive vice chairman of the board at new york presbyterian hospital, it's great to see you. >> great to see you, maria. >> first, i'd like to talk to y

finance and sharon epperson is the nbc personal finance correspondent. >> good morning. >> we're going to get started. we're going to go right to skype. say hello to heidi. she's skyping in from sugar loaf key, florida. what's your question? >> okay. we are in the united states coast guard family and our new assignment is bringing us to baltimore maryland for the next three years. renting in the baltimore suburbs is incredibly expensive while similar homes for sale are actually affordable. so, should we consider buying when we know we'll have to move in three years, or should we rent even though it will cost us a lot more monthly? good question. >> a really good question. >> thank you, al. >> so the rule is generally you got to be in that house three to five years with an emphasis on five, in order to make buying affordable in most cases. but the fact that you've looked at the market in baltimore, you know that rentals are expensive, this is one of those areas that is starting to come back in real estate in the country, and mortgage rates are so low, makes me think that buying might no

sharon epperson shows you how to protect your retirement.haron. >> michelle, many baby boomers, even the most affluent are likely to be underinsured where it counts the most. when you take a look at a survey by ace private risk services, a division of the global insurer ace group, nearly all the insurance agents and brokered surveys were likely to be underinsured in like umbrella liability coverage which guards against the threat of multi-million dollar lawsuits. 88% of agents reported affluent clients had inadequate coverage to rebuild their homes, which often represented significant part of retiree's net worth and 83% of agents said pre-retirees were likely to underinsure valuable collections, art, jewelry, wine, assets that are increasingly used to diversify retirement holdings. but the biggest financial dangers may not always be so obvious or tangible. >> you need comprehensive insurance on your house or on your car, and not having that is not going to bankrupt you. but if you don't have good long-term health care coverage, that certainl

sharon epperson's tracking all the action from the nymex. hi, sharon. >> hi, sue.efinitely seen seesaw action in the gold market plunging to 1625 an ounce. but holding that key support level and rallying all the way back to 1645. and we're only a couple dollars off of yesterday's close right now. the seesaw action has a lot to do with traders really trying to digest what was in that fomc statement and whether or not the fact that there's no more qe-3 on the table for right now. that is something that was expected, but the inflationary comments was something that a lot of traders were interested in hearing. tell me what you're seeing in the fed and what you're anticipating with the press conference what that will do to gold. >> i think it will be interesting to see what happens in the press conference in the q & a. the initial language seemed very bearish that the economy was doing better than anticipated. but in reality the fact that they're keeping rates very low is kind of a pseudo qe-3. and i think that's why you saw gold hold at 1625. it's held that number a fe

farnoosh for onby is the host of financially hit on yahoo and sharon epperson is cnbc's personal finance correspondent. good to see you ladies. >> good to be here. >> we're going to go to skype. we've got barbara skyping in from ann arbor, michigan. barbara, good morning. what's your question? >> good morning. i've been in medical treatment for about two years and although well insured i've accumulated about $8,000 in hospital bills. since i'm unemployed and i do want to pay the bill and do the right thing. i was wondering can i withdraw money from an i.r.a. account that i have without penalty to pay this bill? >> >> you may be able to do that. you have to prove that you're disabled. and i'm assuming that you probably have the documentation in order to do that. the question is do you actually need to do that? and before you withdraw the money from your i.r.a. i want you to go to this hospital and i want you to talk to them about a payment plan or other things that might be able to make the payments tenable for you without having to pull the money out of your i.r.a. i mean above all you d

aaron epperson is a financial correspondent for cnbc. such a hard thing to go through, as people go through divorce. i imagine this idea of thinking about retirement for a lot of people, it's really hard to think about the future without that spouse. so, you really have to think about it, though. >> it's very difficult to think about retirement. of course that's the number one concern of many americans whether they're getting divorced or not. all day on cnbc we're talking about the return on your retirement. but what we're talking about today in terms of divorce, particularly if one spouse has been earning more than another, it can be very difficult because you may not have been able to save as much. so then the retirement savings question really is a big one. >> it can be devastating to you financially as well. let's talk about some tips for protecting your nest egg. first you say if you are thinking about splitting or separating, you have to start thinking about separating your accounts. why is that so important? >> the first thing you

. >>> sharon epperson with a quick check on commodities. we did see oil rise. the positive data we got on positive mving. definitely helping to fuel the economy including energy. brent above the $125 level. keep in mind the refined fuels led the way despite the fact e we got a backward look showing gasoline demand down sharply in january. oil demand in total down about 4.5% compared to the year before, maria. >> stharn, thank you. >>> talk about bad luck. atlantic city's gaming revenue has fallen for more than five years. they hope the new casino can save the city. it's unloan. mary thompson in atlantic city with more. over to you, mary. >> reporter: hey, there, maria. many people are betting on the rebel. the first casino in eight years. the 47-story structure not only changes the skyline of the atlantic city but it's also aimed to change the minds of visitors to come there, hoping to purr situate them to stay an extra day. here's ee's ceo kevin de sancti. >> along with its 2,500 slots and 150 gaming tables. the smoke-free resort casino boasted a 43,000-foot s

sharon epperson has been tracking the action for us at the nymex.s it look going into the close, sharon? >> it looks like we're going to top last week's high here. gold at 1660 an ounce right now. a lot of traders still interpreting what the fed had to say or what chairman bernanke had to say yesterday. and trader john nettle making an interesting point here talking about the fact that while we are looking at a rather hawkish fed, the controlling faction of the fomc is more dovish. the market's understanding that. weakness in the dollar another factor perhaps helping gold prices. we're also looking at some key technical levels in the silver market. don pointing out he was on with me yesterday we are looking at technical levels bullish for gold but also silver not being able to stay below that $30 level. in fact, when you look longer term and you look at what's happened to silver, we're still down more than we are in gold. the gold to silver ratio is another thing traders are pointing out. they're saying there's more of an up trend likely in the gold

we'll get to sharon epperson now at the nymex with the final trades coming in on oil.we looking at, sharon? >> we're looking at a $2 move in wti, crude futures closing right now near the highs of the session above $105. you mentioned the manufacturing data, you got to also talk about the new money flows coming into this market and commodities across the board that may be fueling this trend as well. we have brent above $125 a barrel. and we're looking at big gains 2% or more in refined fuels, heating oil and gasoline futures as well. doesn't seem to matter that the energy department came out today revising their january forecast or january estimates for oil demand saying that in fact in january oil demand dropped by about 4.5%, the lowest level we've seen for january since 2001. so these high prices are certainly taking a toll on gasoline, mandy, but doesn't seem to factor into the future prices, we keep climbing higher. >> okay, sharon,ç thank you ve much for that. in the meantime this is a real clunker we're looking at today. groupon shares off shopping. late on frid

financial expert that sharon epperson talked to say when they advised their clients about how to makeir inheritance they get, number one on the checklist is to outline financial goals. >> look at your long-term and your short-term goals. the biggest mistake we see as everybody rushing out once they get that inheritance for the short-term goals. buying the new car, maybe having a renovation or that family trip to europe. if you plan out how much the costs would be for the short-term goals as well as those long-term goals, you may realize that those long-term goals of retirement and some of those other really important things you want to achieve you might not be able to achieve them if you go ahead and splurge too much on the short-term goals. >> what we've been encouraging baby boomers to do when they receive an inheritance, pay the government, get rid of them as a partner in your planning going forward. and i think to stacy's point, look at those variables. >> so you pay the taxes on the inheritance up front, that's what you're saying? >> absolutely. i think today's boomer recognizest

sharon epperson is at the nymex. hey, sharon. >> hey, mandy.s definitely gaining momentum going into the close today. overnight oil was below $104 a barrel. and as traders then got the gdp data this morning, they were deciphering a miss on the headline number, but the fact remains that was largely due to government spending, not transportation spending, other types of spending and personal consumption was actually pretty strong. so we did see prices pick up a bit. we are still though in this 100 to $105 range. we're looking at gains in the gasoline market. that's something to watch into the weekend. natural gas has really seen a pop this week. and the june contract up about 20 cents from where it was last friday. back to you. >> okay, sharon, thank you so much. well, samsung of korea out with blockbuster earnings today. the company also set to release its newest smartphone next week. our very own jon fortt is here with more on the samsung story and whether or not apple should maybe be looking over it shoulder, jon. >> yeah, mandy. more like gla

if you know, for example, european banks are the shraon epperson center of the downturn, then why not bet against our banks? yeah, should a minneapolis-based bank trade with spain? well, it does. a trade that has worked tends to keep working until people get their heads handed to them. there's an adage for you. if you know big product companies are about to report starting with j&j tomorrow and you know europe has been weak, you're able ta short stocks with impunity. that's what people have been doing. but the failure, the failure of europe to decline this morning and the rebound of the euro set up a chain reaction where the money managers who have been leaning against our financial center consumer package goods, they got their bell rung! [ bell ] less cowbell. every time i talk about this kind of linked trading, people react with genuine disbelief. the average guy, you're at the ball game, you talk about europe, they're like, europe, what are you kidding me? i live in philadelphia. how could a day where europe failed to go down really impact our stocks? how could the euro rallying re

sharon epperson is following all the action from the nymex.esting given the strength that we saw earlier in the euro and weakness in the dollar, sharon. >> it does seem that gold is like a risk asset today. that is how it's trading. we are seeing it slightly higher. not as high as some of the other metals. keep in mind, there's a lot going on in the gold market that is anticipatory. we are waiting to see what happens with the fomc decision. we are waiting to see what happens with the options expiration that will occur on wednesday's session. there will be a lot more activity around this time tomorrow with that options expiration and, of course, the anticipation of what that fomc decision will say. we've noticed that gold has actually been very range bound recently. it only traded in a $15 range today. the $10 move or $11 move you see here at the close in terms of the gains, a lot of that was made early on in the session. elsewhere in commodities we are looking for silver prices higher as well today. the gold/silver ratio has come back in quite

sharon epperson got together a round table of financial experts for their take on critical money lessons wealthy can teach their heirs. >> teach your children the value of saving early, showing them how it grows over time. i think that would be a starting point. and also doing some education with your children about what it means to invest and how we defer gratification today for things that we really want down the line. >> i really agree. i mean, i think you do too, frank, the greatest legacy is financial education is actually getting them up to speed on what they need to know about perhaps your money as well as their money. >> i think today's boomers looking at this rags to rags. first generation made it, second generation can keep it, third generation will probably lose it. so in the years ahead, i think for the boomer, they're going to make a decision whether or not their children can act as fiduciaries. if they can't, who can? i think the decision is as simple as that. >> so they're looking for an advisor, stacey, are they saying help me plan not only for myself but my child i'm not

and sharon epperson's been tracking the action over at the nymex. of course today, sharon, all of that and the turmoil in europe tying into the move in gold, i would assume. >> that's played into it, but a lot has to do with the move and the fed trying to read the two different viewpoints of the fed, sue. initially when there was no qe-3 in the statement wednesday afternoon, we saw gold prices drop to 1625, slightly below that and we've rallied about $40 since then because bernanke's talking about additional tools that may be used. this is how price is. but technically in the last month we've seen test the level four times and technically speaking, we can look for gold prices now that we're at the 1665 level. >> right, exactly. >> that's what they're looking at. and, sue, also i want to look at a copper chart versus what we're seeing in the precious metals because that tells the story of today's data and the fact that when you look behind that headline on gdp, look at personal consumption, that is something that's stronger and more bullish than expe

sharon epperson is in studio with an expert on how to get a great return on your retirement. sue. you know, you probably already turned in your tax returns, right? but now is the time to start planning ahead. and joining me now with some strategies often overlooked when it comes to tax savings is joanne johnson. thanks for being here. >> great to be here, sharon. >> we talk so much about retirement and the importance of considering converting from a traditional ira to a roth ira and pay taxes on money going in but take it out tax free. still a lot of people confused about whether it's the right thing to do. what do you say? >> i say this is the year to do it. now, when you consider converting from a traditional ira to a roth, the biggest consideration is the tax amount that you have to pay when you make that conversion. the time to pay this tax is in 2012. the federal income tax rates are slate today go up on january 1, 2013. the second reason you want to do this this year is that prior to this there were eligibility requirements to making this conversion. it used to be that

back to you. >> sharon epperson, thank you.> there are two things that matter they are really important and they came in and raised the guidance range. united technology, that company affirmed the 2012 sales outlook. these are the big, big names to watch. what's the result of all of this? remember, a month ago the panic that occurred? it will get better there. the panic that occurred with 1% growth. everyone said, we can't have 1%. every single day of earning season it's going up. now look at it. that's not right. 4.9%. that's what you want to look for nearly 5% in growth for the first quarter. that's happening every single day. let's talk about some other things. how about what else is going on here with the s&p 500. remember how we were moving down going into earning season? notice how things have changed a little bit. it's stabilized in the last week or so after alcoa had its earnings come out. i want to talk about new home sales. stronger than expected for march but most importantly there was an upward revision. that's good

we'll check in with sharon epperson at the nymex. >> who do you believe when it comes to china's pmiata? showing last week from the manufacturing sector in china contracting. a lot of traders saying that they are incredulous and that's why oil prices are off here. wti trading above 103.50 when the market opened last night and now we're approaching $102 a barrel. we're seeing weakness across the energy complex and definitely in natural gas as well. even though temperatures have more normalized here, we're continuing to see technical trading bringing those prices down towards the $2 level. we have a 15% increase in the last week. so there are a lot of shorts still in this market. over to you at the nyse. >> sharon, thank you very much. straight from the opening bell, the fifth autism awareness day. bob wright, the former chairman, vice chairman of nbc. and nyse, be duncan need der haur is here with his son as well. tommy hill figu tommy hilfiker. >> thank you. we have a study in korea that is the gold standard and that's where we're headed here in the united states. not headed because

what have we learned about the causes, the diagnoses, the treatment of tbi through hhs' epperson how is that knowledge being applied in world war i situations. i would also like to hear their ideas about where we should go from here. i would like to say a special hello to dr. flaura winston from the children's hospital of philadelphia who is a one-stroke role institution it is certainly of my constituents. i would also like to welcome those with us today who have tbi as well as their families and caregivers to make enormous sacrifices every day. we are glad that you are all here. i yield the balance of my time to the vice chairman,. >> a thank the chairman for the recognition. today's hearing is of vital importance as a center for disease control estimates over 1.5 million people sustained a traumatic brain injury annually and over 52,000 of them do not survive. those that do survive, this makes pediatric brain injury the number one cause of death and disability for children. there exists no viable repair repaired of therapeutic option for patients and all the interventions are desig

sharon epperson joins us with what to expect and how to maximize your return to retirement. >> good morning. some 401(k) plans have poor investment choices, many have very high fees. but new rules are an attempt to change that. >> new regulations involving disclosure that are very, very positive for consumers. they are now going to have visibility to all the fees associated with the management of their 401(k) accounts. >> now, withis this won't happe immediately. service providers can wait until july 1st to tell employers the cost of their plans and participants may ebb kept in the dark for another few months. you can get a free report now on the fees in many 401(k) plays and it's worth to know the costs. why will an extra half a percent in an annual fee can similar savings by as much as 10% according to one estimate. there are other important 401(k) rules from the treasury department that may have an even greater impact down the road. and they aim to help retirees keep a secure income stream for life. the new proposal would, one, allow workers to convert a portion of either their 401(k) or

i'm sharon epperson at the nymex. cruise supplies rose by 4 million barrels.on barrels, we saw a little bit of a dip in food prices. basically, they are trading now where they were. they're up about 19 cents or so above $103 a barrel. meanwhi meanwhile, gasoline inventories fell by 2.2 million barrels. gasoline inventories down by .2 million barrels. finally, this was fuel supplies down by 3.1 million barrels, down by 3.1 million barrels and, david, this is different from what analysts were anticipating, as well. they were expecting to see a small build in additional fuel supplies. and those futures are declining. back to you. >> let's take a look at shares of apple, shall we? one hour into trade, there you see it. 9.3%. 934 million shares outstanding, i believe, roughly. so we're talking about a $48 billion addition to market value, give or take, 100 million here or there. at one point, it was as much as 50 billion. clearly, not many companies are in a position to add 50 billion in market cap in one day. it gives you a sense to the size of the company in term